1994 Ford Explorer Tires & Wheels Problems

WHILE DRIVING 60 MPH ON THE HIGHWAY, DRIVER'S SIDE FRONT TIRE HAD COMPLETE TREAD-SEPARATION, CAUSING DAMAGE TO THE FRONT END OF THE VEHICLE, LEFT SIDE OF VEHICLE, AND FLATTENING THE REAR LEFT TIRE. ALTHOUGH THE DRIVER'S SIDE FRONT TIRE HAD COMPLETE TREAD SEPARATION, IT REMAINS INFLATED. THE DEFECTIVE TIRE, AS WELL AS ALL TIRES ON THE VEHICLE, HAD PLENTY OF TREAD LEFT, PASSING BOTH THE PENNY AND QUARTER TEST, WERE PROPERLY INFLATED, AND SHOW NO CRACKING OR WEARING. ALL THE TIRES WERE PURCHASED AT THE SAME TIME AND ARE TOYO RADIAL OPEN COUNTRY P235/75R15. A STEVENS COUNTY POLICE OFFICER WITNESSED THE TREAD SEPARATION AND STOPPED TO HELP. *TR

I RECEIVED A LETTER FROM BRIDGESTONE FIRESTONE NORTH AMERICA TIRE ABOUT A NOTICE REGARDING THE SAFETY OF TIRES. THE 1994 FORD EXPLORER ORIGINALLY CAME WITH P235/75R 15 RADIAL ATX. TODAY I TRIED TO RETURN THE TIRE, ORIGINAL SPARE, FOR A FREE REPLACEMENT AS STATED IN THE LETTER. HOWEVER I WAS TOLD BY AN AUTHORIZED FIRESTONE DEALER AT HAYWOOD MALL GREENVILLE SC THAT THE RECALL HAD BEEN TERMINATED. THE LETTER FROM BRIDGESTONE FIRESTONE NORTH AMERICA DID NOT INDICATE AN END DATE. IN FACT THIS LETTER INDICATED THE COMPANY WAS TRYING TO ROOT OUT THE LAST REMAINING TIRE SPARES. THE DEALER REFUSED TO HONOR THE RECALL. AK

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED RECALL LETTER # 01X001000 FOR THE TIRES: TREAD/BELT WAS RECEIVED FROM BRIDGESTONE/FIRESTONE FOR THE TIRES ON THE 1994 FORD EXPLORER. THE PAPERWORK WAS RETURNED TO THE MANUFACTURER FOR THE REFUND, BUT THE REFUND WAS DENIED.

TL* - THE CONTACT RECEIVED A RECALL LETTER FOR FIRESTONE TIRES ON HIS 1994 FORD EXPLORER. THE LETTER STATED AN AUTHORIZED DEALER WOULD REPLACE THE TIRES FREE OF CHARGE. HE CALLED THE NUMBER ON THE LETTER TO FIND AN AUTHORIZED DEALER. AFTER CONTACTING THE AUTHORIZED DEALER HE WAS TOLD THEY WOULD REPLACE THE TIRES. THE CONTACT HAD TO PAY FOR THE TIRES AND THE DEALER KEPT THE TWO TIRES HE REPLACED. THE TIRES ARE RADIAL ATX 235S.

RECALLED FIRESTONE ATX AND WILDERNESS TIRES. **NAR** *NJ THE CONSUMER WAS TRAVELING AT 70 MPH WHEN THE LEFT REAR TIRE SUFFERED A CATASTROPHIC TREAD BELT SEPARATION. THE VEHICLE BECAME UNCONTROLLABLE AND SUBSEQUENTLY ROLLED WHICH CAUSED A FATAL HEAD INJURY TO A RESTRAINED 12 YEAR OLD OCCUPANT. IT WAS ALSO STATED THAT THE SPARE TIRES WERE ALSO DEFECTIVE AND THEY TOO SHOULD BE REMOVED FROM VEHICLES. *JB

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING 72 MPH ON NORMAL ROAD CONDITIONS, THE TWO FRONT TIRES BLEW OUT. THE VEHICLE LOST CONTROL AND EMBANKED INTO A DITCH. THERE WAS NO WARNING SIGNALS PRIOR THE INCIDENT. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A TIRE DEALER WHO PROVIDED USED TIRES TO MAKE THE VEHICLE OPERABLE. THE VEHICLE SUSTAINED DAMAGES TO THE FRONT END, WHICH THE TIRE DEALER DID NOT RECOGNIZE AS CONSEQUENCE OF THE TIRE FAILURE. THE CONTACT RECENTLY, RECEIVED A RECALL LETTER # 00T005000, WHICH WAS TAKEN TO THE TIRE DEALER. THE RECALL LETTER WAS NOT HONORED FOR THE TIRES REPLACEMENT. THE CONTACT WAS ONLY ALLOWED TO KEEP THE USED TIRES PROVIDED IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE INCIDENT. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE TIRES WERE FIRESTONE WILDERNESS AT I, SIZE: 23575R/15.

I EXPERIENCED AN UNEXPLAINABLE VIBRATION IN MY VEHICLE 2 DAYS PRIOR TO MY TIRE ( UNIROYAL RADIAL TRAIL KING A/T 31-10.50/R15) HAVING A TREAD SEPARATION/BLOWOUT ON MY TRUCK. WHEN ATTEMPTING TO SEARCH FOR WHERE I COULD OBTAIN A REPLACEMENT , I FOUND A RECALL ( NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID # 91T001000) FOR THESE TIRES. I CONTACTED THE MANUFACTURER UNIROYAL WHO INSTRUCTED ME TO GO TO SEARS & ROEBUCK AUTOMOTIVE. I WAS THEN INFORMED BY SEARS THAT THEY DO NOT DEAL IN UNIROYAL TIRES AND COULD NOT HELP ME. I THEN RE-CONTACTED UNIROYAL AND WAS TOLD THAT THEY COULD NOT FIND THIS RECALL EVEN THOUGH I COULD SUPPLY THEM WITH THE NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID. I WAS THEN TOLD THAT IT WAS IRRELEVANT BECAUSE MY TIRES ARE OVER 6 YRS OLD ANYWAY ( * THESE TIRES WERE STORED IN LIKE "NEW" CONDITION, DEW TO MY DEPLOYMENT IN THE MILITARY). I EXPERIENCED THIS BLOWOUT WITHIN ONLY A FEW HUNDRED MILES AFTER REMOUNTING THEM ( THIS CAN BE TOLD BY THE EXTREME AMOUNT OF TREAD THAT IS ON THE TIRES , REGARDLESS OF THERE MANUFACTURE DATE. THIS VEHICLE STILL HAS THREE MORE OF THESE TIRES ON IT AND I AM CONCERNED THAT THIS COULD HAPPEN AGAIN. THIS WAS NOT A SIMPLE FLAT TIRE, THIS TIRE EXPLODED AND TREAD SEPARATED SIMILAR TO HOW A TRACTOR TRAILER TIRE VIOLENTLY BLOWS. THESE ARE NOT THE ORIGINAL TIRES THAT CAME ON THIS TRUCK , MY COMPLAINT IS AGAINST UNIROYAL NOT THE CAR MANUFACTURER. *JB

CONSUMER WAS INVOLVED WITH THE FIRESTONE RECALL OF TIRES FOR BLOW OUTS. WHILE DRIVING 60 MPH DRIVER'S SIDE TIRE BLEW OUT, RIPPING ACROSS THE MIDDLE. CONSUMER WAS ABLE TO MAINTAIN CONTROL WITHOUT ANY COLLISIONS THESE TIRES WERE MANUFACTURED BY GENERAL, SERIES GENERAL AT, /P2357515. *AK

1994 FORD EXPLORER. CABLE HOLDING SPARE TIRE BROKE WHILE DRIVING AND DROPPED THE SPARE TIRE ON TO THE ROAD SURFACE. *AK

CONSUMER WOULD LIKE TO KNOW WHAT EFFORTS WERE BEING MADE TO GET FORD/ FIRESTONE TIRE, AND RUBBER MANUFACTURER'S TO ISSUE REIMBURSEMENTS TO CONSUMERS WHO HAD TO PAY FOR REPLACED TIRES. MANUFACTURER REFUSED TO HONOR NHTSA RECALL # 00T005000. *AK

WHILE DRIVING AT 20 MPH DRIVER HEARD A LOUD NOISE COMING FROM REAR OF VEHICLE. CONSUMER TOOK VEHICLE TO DEALERSHIP, AND FOUND OUT THAT THE RIMS LOST FOUR OF IT'S FIVE STUDS.*AK

WHILE DRIVING AND WITHOUT WARNING, THE REAR DRIVER SIDE TIRE SHREDDED. DEALER NOTIFIED SIZE#23575R15 PLEASE PROVIDE THE DOT NUMBER. CRAVEN TIRES SAID THERE WAS A SLOW LEAK CAUSED BY A CUT IN THE TREAD. COOPER TIRES HAD TO BE REPLACED WITH NEW TIRES BY FIRESTONE. *AK *CB *JB

SPARE TIRE WAS STORED UNDER THE BODY IN THE REAR OF THE TRUCK. CONSUMER WAS ABOUT TO CHANGE LEFT REAR FLAT TIRE AND NOTICED THE SPARE TIRE WAS MISSING. THE CABLE FROM WHICH THE TIRE WAS SUPPORTED, WAS DANGLING FREELY WITH NO TIRE. MY SPARE TIRE MUST HAVE FELL OFF THE TRUCK WHILE DRIVING WITHOUT MY NOTICING IT. I LOOKED IN THE OWNERS MANUAL AND THERE IS NO MENTION OF MAINTAINING THE SPARE TIRE HOLDER. *TT

I WAS DRIVING ON THE PA TURNPIKE. I GOT OFF AT FORT WASHINGTON EXIT. I PROCEEDED TO FT. WASHINGTON EXPO CENTER. I PULLED INTO A PARKING PLACE AND I HEARD A LOUD POP. I GOT OUT TO FIND MY REAR-PASSENGER SIDE TIRE DEFLATING RAPIDLY. THERE WAS A HOLE IN THE SIDE WALL OF THE TIRE. THERE WAS NOTHING ON THE GROUND AROUND THE TIRE. IT JUST POPPED. *JB

THE DEALER REPLACED ALL FOUR RECALLED TIRES, HOWEVER ONE OF THE NEW TIRES EXPERIENCED TREAD SEPARATION, THE DEALER REPLACED THE TIRE, BUT REFUSED TO CHANGE THE OTHER THREE TIRES. *JB

WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE TIRES WOULD SHAKE. *NLM

1994 FORD EXPLORER - SPARE TIRE DROPPED ON HIGHWAY AT 65 MILES PER HOUR. TIRE BOUNCED IN AIR 3 - 4 FEET IN FRONT ON VEHICLE FOLLOWING, WHICH SWERVED TO AVOID. CABLE SUPPORTING SPARE TIRE HAD RUSTED THROUGH. TYPICAL UNDER VEHICLE SUPPORT SYSTEM ON PICKUPS AND SUVS.

I HAD MY VEHICLE IN FOR A ROUTINE PA STATE INSPECTION ON FRIDAY. THE SHOP INFORMED ME THAT THERE WAS SEVERE TIRE DAMAGE, PERFORATED SIDEWALL, ON ONE OF THE TIRES. THERE IS A SEPARATION AROUND THE ENTIRE INTERIOR SIDEWALL, THE SHOP DOING THE WORK (A TIRE DEALER) TIPPED ME OFF BY SAYING. I CAN'T BELIEVE THEY WOULD REPLACE THE FIRESTONE, WHICH WERE GENERALLY OKAY, WITH A TIRE KNOWN TO HAVE PROBLEMS. A LITTLE WEB RESEARCH YIELDED THE FOLLOWING REPORT: HTTP://WWW.STRATEGICSAFETY.COM/LIBRARY/SI004.HTM MY 17 YEAR OLD SON DRIVES THIS CAR. I'M SHOCKED AND LOOKING FOR RE-COURSE. HOW IS IT POSSIBLE THAT THE FIRESTONE TIRES WERE REPLACED BY A TIRE KNOWN TO HAVE THE EXACT SAME ISSUES? *JB I NEED SOME RECOURSE HERE!

DUELER APT, REPLACEMENT EQUIPMENT ON A 1994 ,FORD, EXPLORER WITH 99000 MILES. TREAD SEPARATION ON REAR DRIVER SIDE TIRE AT 75 MPH.*AK THE TREAD OF THE TIRE SEPARATED FROM THE TIRE AND WRAPPED AROUND THE AXLE, LOCKING THE REAR WHEELS AND CAUSED CONSUMERS VEHICLE TO SPIN OUT OF CONTROL. THE TIRES HAD BEEN CHECKED TWENTY MINUTES PRIOR TO DEPARTURE FOR PROPER PRESSURE. THE MECHANIC INFORMED CONSUMER THAT THE TREADS WERE FINE. CONSUMER TRIED TALKING TO FIRESTONE/BRIDGESTONE DEALER. IT WAS EXPLAINED TO CONSUMER THAT THE PARTICULAR TIRE WAS MADE EXCLUSIVELY FOR SEARS AND THEY COULD NOT DEAL WITH IT. *JG

TIRES WERE REPLACED LESS THAN 6 MONTHS AGO DURING MASS RECALL. I WAS DRIVING @ 55 MPH ON A CLEAR HIGHWAY WITH NO DEBIS. THE SIDEWALL BLEW SUDDENLY AND I NEARLY CRASHED INTO A CONCRETE RETAINING WALL. IT WAS SO STRONG & SUDDEN, I FELT I LOST CONTROL. IT LEFT ME WITH A HEADACHE & SORE RIGHT SIDE OF MY NECK.*AK (TIRESIZE: P235/75R15)